Styler dryer for hair curling

ABSTRACT

Apparatus for styling hair comprising a hollow handle containing a water supply, a heating element disposed in a tubular jacket extending outwardly from the handle, a two armed spring biased lever having a longer arm conforming to the configuration of the jacket and adapted to clamp hair being treated between it and the jacket, and a water supply container in the handle. At least a portion of the container holding the water is deformable to supply water to the jacket where it is heated and then exits through apertures in the jacket to moisten the hair.

I United States Patent 1191 1111 3,805,81 1 Born Apr. 23, 1974 [54] STYLER DRYER FOR HAIR CURLING 3,702,616 11/1972 Mercer 132/9 [75] Invento Erika Breitscheid Germany 1,891,471 12/1932 Fotza 132/116 [73] Assignee: Wilhelm Kruk Nachf. KG, Essen, Primary Examiner-Louis G. Mancene Germany Assistant Examiner-Gregory E. McNeil] Filed: Jan. 1973 Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Laurence, Laurence &

Neilan [21] App]. No.: 320,484 7 [57] ABSTRACT [30] Foreign Application Priority Data Apparatus for styling hair comprising a hollow handle June 29, 1972 Germany 2231764 Containing a Water pp y a heating element disposed in a tubular jacket extending outwardly from the han- 52 11.8. C1 132/37 R dle, a two armed Spring biased lever having a longer [51] Int. Cl A45d 2/24 i Conforming to the Configuration of the jacket and [58] Field of Search 132/31, 36, 37, 112, 116, adapted to clamp hair being treated ween it and 132/9 1 1; 219/24; 34/96 97 the jacket, and a water supply container in the handle. I At least a portion of the container holding the water is 5 R f Ci deformable to supply water to the jacket where it is UNITED STATES PATENTS heated and then exits through apertures in the jacket t0 moisten the hair. 1,691,244 11/1928 Hussey l32/36R 2,880,299 3/1959 Jones 219/24 7 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures .W r/PNARAA B .2 2 6 g on 7 l.

PMENTEDAPRNUM sum 1 0r 2 FIG 2 FIG I FIG 3 STYLER DRYER FOR HAIR CURLING This invention relates to an apparatus for the styling of hair. Hair styler-dryers, consisting of a handle, a round dryer and having a lever appropriately shaped and adapted to the handle, are known items. The handle of these styler-dryers is usually made of wood or a plastic material. The handle is firmly connected with the dryer and is preferably insulated against heat. The dryer, consisting of metal, has the shape of a tube in whose hollow space a heating element is fitted and which must be insulated against heat at both ends. In addition, the entire surface of the heating element can be protected by a non-conductive material which, as for example ceramics, must be heat resistant. in most cases the heating element is an electrical resistance heating element which receives the electric current through conducting wires entering the handle of the styler-dryer and leaving to the heating element via a switch fixed in the handle. The switch enables the current, which is supplied to the heating element, to be interrupted. The opening at the front-side of the dryers free end is closed in most cases with a moulded plugshaped piece of material having a low heat conductivity, as for example, a plastic material. It is advantageous if this moulded part protrudes from the dryer thus serv ing as an auxiliary handle facilitating the handling of the styler-dryer. The lever, appropriately shaped and adapted to the handle of the styler-dryer, usually consistsof a metal, with the outer surface of the shorter part of the lever being sometimes covered with a heat insulating material, as for example, a plastic material. The lever has the shape of a flat angle, its vertex being the point where it is bent. The longer part of the lever, which extends over almost the entire length of the dryer, is bowl-shaped and when in normal position it rests under the pressure of a spring closely against the dryer.

By manual pressure exerted on the shorter part of the lever the longer part of the lever can, against the spring load, be spread out from the dryer. This position enables strands of hair to be placed between the lever and the dryer, the strands being pressed against the dryer by the longer part of the lever on releasing the manual pressure exerted on the shorter part of the lever. The heat from the dryer imparts to the strands, clamped fast in this way, a shape corresponding to the girth of the dryer. Once this effect has been achieved the strands clamped fast are released after the lever has been spread hairand can then be removed from the dryer. In order to obtain in this manner a change of the ahirs shape lasting for a prolonged period of time, it is advantageous to moisten the hair prior to treating it with the styler-dryer. However, it is difficult to moisten the hair uniformly and with an amount of water adjusted to the amount of heat emitted by the dryer of the styler-dryer. Attempts have, therefore, been made to find means enabling the moistening of the hair to be carried out in such a way that it is in keeping with the effect of the styler-dryer.

It is an object of this invention to overcome the disadvantages cited above. 7

It is a further object of this invention to provide an apparatus for the styling of hair.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide an apparatus for the styling of hair which provides the correct amount of moisture to the hair.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof and in which FIG. 1 is a side view of the styler-dryer of this invention.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the embodiment of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an embodiment of this invention showing a modification of a section of the handle portion.

FIG. 4 is another embodiment of this invention showing a modification of a section of the handle portion.

FIG. 5 is another embodiment of this invention showing a modification of a section of the handle portion.

The styler-dryer of this invention consists of a handle firmly connected with a round dryer and a u-shaped lever appropriately shaped and adapted to the handle and dryer, the levers longer u-shaped part extending over almost the entire length of the dryer and resting under the pressure of the spring closely against the dryer. It is characteristic of this styler-dryer that its handle is fitted with a water container which is provided with an opening for refilling water that can be closed and from which container the water can be pressed in partial quantities into an outlet pipe leading into a hollow space between the jacket of the dryer and the heating means. The jacket has around its entire girth small holes spaced at a distance from each other.

The hair styler-dryer of the present invention has a hollow space in the free end of its handle. This hollow space may be the water container or it may contain a separate water container.

In one modification the hollow space constitutes part of the water container facing the dryer. The free opening of the container is closed with a calotte-shaped (cap-shaped) part made of an elastically moldable material. The brim of the hollow space can be connected in a detachable manner with the brim of the calotteshaped part by means of a thread. To achieve this the brim of the calotte-shaped part must be such that it is not deformed by a pressure exerted upon the vertex or the part near it of the calotte, resulting in the thread becoming leaky. To exclude this disadvantageous possibility, the part of the calotte with the thread can, for example, has an annular fortification in the material itself or at the brim of the calotte a ring of a material that is only a little or not elastic at all, this ring being firmly connected with the calotte.

In another embodiment of the present invention in which the hollow space in the handle also forms the part of the water container facing the dryer, the brim of the hollow space can be firmly connected with the brim of the calotte-shaped part made of an elastically moldable material and the calotte-shaped part can have an opening for refilling water that can be closed. This opening is advantageously situated at the vertex of the calotte and is provided with a short unscrewable connecting piece that can be closed with a corresponding screw cap or a corresponding screw plug.

In still another embodiment of the present invention the styler-dryer also has a hollow space in the free end of its handle in which a screw cap is firmly mounted and that, together with a corresponding unscrewable connecting piece, forms a detachable combination in the center of which the outlet pipe is fixed that passes through the screw cap. For this purpose the handle is advantageously provided with a partition wall or a cross-piece into which the screw cap is embedded. Moreover, the walls of the hollow space in the handle and particularly the upper'brim of that hollow space as well as the water container can be shaped in such a way that the outer surface of the handle continues in the outer surface of the part housing the water container protruding from the handles hollow space. It is advantageous if this part protruding from the hollow space also has the shape of a calotte.

It is also possible to mount the water container separately in the handle making it a little smaller than the hollow space in the handle and to close the hollow space with a detachable cap which also covers the water container. When the cap has been removed a sufficiently large part of the water container must protrude from the remaining part of the handle so that the water container can be seized and unscrewed from the remaining part of the handle. The detachable cap can be connected with the remaining part of the handle by means of a thread. It is also possible, however, to provide the brim of the cap with an additional rim fitting into a groove running along the brim and round the remaining part of the handle thus forming a detachable arrangement of parts fitting into each other and which, if necessary, can be secured by screws put in at the sides. The hollow space in the handle can have a push button that can be actuated from the outside, which is movable in its longitudinal axis against the pressure of a spring and which, with its end protruding into the hollow space, gives together with the walls of the water container a combined effect. The pushbutton can be situated in the side-wall of the hollow space in the handle and its end, protruding into the hollow space, can rest on a plate-spring, one end of which is fixed to the inner wall of the hollow space while the bend of the plate-spring is resting against the wall of the water container. The push button is advantageously shaped to have a cylindrical shape extending up to a ledge at which the diameter of the push button bcomes wider. A surface is thus formed at the ledge and after the push button has been mounted into a corresponding borehole in the wall of the hollow space, said surface will rest against the inner surface of that wall. Below that ledge the push button has either the shape of a cylinder or of a truncated cone.

The plate spring is advantageously fitted so as to be lying essentially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the handle. The end of the plate-spring, inclined toward the opening of the hollow spacethat can be closed is fixed said nose acting together with the plate-spring. The lever can also be provided at the brim of its free end with a ledge-shaped shoulder resting against the inside of the hollow spaces wall when the lever is not pressed into the hollow space against the pressure of the spring. One end of the plate-spring giving together with this swivel lever a combined effect, can also be fixed to the inside of the hollow space s wall, near the swivel point of the lever and can rest against the inside of the latter. A spiral spring, in place of the plate-spring, can be mounted on the pin serving to hold the swivel lever in a-corresponding recess in the swivel lever, one end of the spiral spring resting against the inside of the swivel lever and its other end against the inside of the hollow spaces wall. These two points for both the ends of the spiral spring are chosen so that the spiral spring is tightened when the swivel lever is pressed down and that when the pressure exerted upon theswivel lever is released, said spring will press the swivel lever outwards and back into its original starting position and will arrest it there. In both the latter embodiments the swivel lever must act directly together with the walls of the water container so that a pressure, which is being exerted upon the swivel lever, will be transferred direct onto the walls of the water container.

The pushbutton can also be disposed in a bore-hole provided in the cap covering the hollow space in the handle. The pushbutton has a shoulder between the wider diameter part pointing outwards and the smaller diameter part pointing inwards which reaches the wall of the water container. One end of a spiral spring, enclosing the thinner part of the pushbutton, rests against said shoulder and the other end of this spring rests on a shoulder in the bore-hole provided in the cap. In addition the pushbuttons thinner part is fitted with a holding device such as a split ring or a snap ring, this holding device giving, together with the inner surface of the cap, a combined effect, arresting the button in the bore-hole of the cap in such a manner that the button can be pressed into the cap against the pressure of the spring, said button being returned to its original position after the pressure has been released. The pressure exerted when the pushbutton is pressed in is also transferred onto the wall of the water container thus reducing its volume, whereby a partial amount of the water is pressed into the outlet pipe. The pushbutton can also be enclosed by a cup held in the cap by means of a to the inner wall of the hollow space using for example I a pin or a screw. The bent part of the plate-spring, seen from the point where it is fixed, is advantageously directed toward the center axis of the handle until the wall of the water container is almost reached and then -bends off following the course of that wall.'The free end of the plate-spring can project beyond the wall or can be bent away from it in order to avoid damages to the wall which might otherwise occur when the spring is pressed down.

In place of the push button a swivel lever can be mounted in a corresponding opening in the wall of the hollow space. This swivel lever is advantageously fixed at the end facing the dryer using a pin which projects into either wall of the hollow space, i.e., in such a manner that the swivel lever can swivel on this pin. A nose can be disposed on the inner side of that swivel lever,

thread. This cup is provided with a bulge rim which is on top of the cap and has a larger diameter than the part with the thread. The outer surface of said bulge rim is advantageously roughened by fiuting or knurling enabling the cup to be screwed in or out more easily. This cup serves to control the partial amount of water which by pressing the button is pressed from the water container into the outlet pipe. The further the cup is screwed out of the cap, the smaller is the amount of water obtained when the button is pressed.

A tube of a rigid material, such as metal, serves as outlet pipe and is tightly fitted into the part of the water container facing the dryer. One end of the pipe projects only a little into the water container with a pliable hose attached to this end and a weight fixed to the other end of this hose to render it heavier. The length of said hose, which may be of a plastic material, shall extend to the other end of the water container. The weight fixed to the free end of the hose will ensure that this end of the hose will always be at the deepest point of the water container even if the styler-dryer is being held with the dryer pointing upwards or in an almost or completely horizontal to vertical position. This ensures that the hose will deliver partial amounts of water even if only a small amount of water is left in the water container.

The electrical lead-in wire enters the handle of the styler-dryer via a switch fitted in the handle. It is con nected to the heating element which is fixed as centrically as possible in the hollow space of the tubular dryer. The dryers tubular jacket can be attached or if a thread is available screwed onto a corresponding connecting-sleeve thus forming one piece with the handle of the styler-dryer. The jacket of the dryer is advantageously made of metal, its entire girth being provided with small holes spaced at a distance from each other. The opening at the front side of the dryers jacket is closed with a plug-shaped molded piece of material having low heat conductivity and is held in position by means of a thread or by screws.

There is also a lever appropriately shaped and adapted to the handle, the longer bowl-shaped part of this lever extending over almost the entire length of the dryer and resting closely against the latter. By pressing down the shorter part of this lever against the pressure of the spring, the longer part can be spread out from the dryer.

An electric resistance to serve as a heating element is fitted centrically in the dryer. This heating element, protected by a casing of heat resistant material which must be insulated against electric current, can be fixed in the handle or in the jacket of the dryer. Said casing of heat resistant material can be made of ceramics that has proved to be suitable for this purpose. It is given the shape of a long cylinder which with its open end facing the handle, is fitted in such a manner that an interspace remains between the outer surface and the dryers jacket. At this open end the cylinder is provided with a bulge rim which rests closely against the inner surface of the dryers jacket and has but a slit through which the outlet pipe of the water container is led. The free end of the outlet pipe from the water container ends in the interspace formed between the insulating coating and the dryers jacket provided with holes. When the heating element is switched on the partial amount of water coming from the outlet pipe gets into the heated insulating coating where it evaporates. The steam passes through the holes in the dryers jacket thus moistening the hair strands curled around the dryer. To ensure that the partial amount of water coming from the outlet-pipe distributes more evenly and that the water evaporates completely, a cylinder consisting of wire gauze can be inserted loosely in the interspace between the insulating body and the dryers jacket. This wire gauze will also prevent the water coming from the outlet pipe from passing as such through the holes in the jacket of the dryer.

Referring to the drawings, FIG. 1 gives the side view of a styler dryer of the invention, consisting of the handle 1, the dryer 2, the lever 3 and the molded part 4. Attached to the handle 1 are the cap 5 and a cup 7 with a bulge rim around the pushbutton 6 provided in the cup 7 which is roughened by fluting. The electric current reaches the heating element in dryer 2 (heating element not shown) through the lead-in wire 8 entering the handle 1 and leading to the heating element via the switch 9. The jacket of the dryer is provided with holes 2a.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the styler-dryer of FIG. 1 the reference figures indicated there designating the same parts as those shown in FIG. 1. In the hollow space of the handle 1, the sealing cap 11 of the water container is fixed in the cross piece 10. The outlet pipe 13 passes through the sealing cap 11, and a pliable hose 14 is attached to the outlet pipe 13 in the water container 12. The free end of the hose 14 carries a weight 15. The part of the push button 6 which is secured by the pin 16 rests against the bottom of the water container 12. One end of spring 17 rests against the shoulder of the pushbutton 6 while the other end of spring 17 is supported by the shoulder of the cup 7. The heating element 18, protected by the insulating cylinder 19, is fitted in the dryer 2. A piece of wire gauze 21 bent to the shape of a cylinder is loosely inserted in the interspace between the jacket of the dryer 20 and the insulating cylinder 19. The outlet pipe 13 leads into said interspace and ends there. The closed end of insulating cylinder 19 is connected with the molded part 4 by means of screw 22.

FIG. 3 is an embodiment of the present invention and shows a part of the styler dryer of the invention in which the hollow space provided in the handle 1 forms a part of water container 12. By means of a thread the brim of this hollow space is connected with the calotteshaped (cap-shaped) part 23 consisting of elastically moldable material, the brim of the latter being fortified by bulge 24.

FIG. 4 is another embodiment of the invention and shows part of the styler-dryer of the invention which is similar to the one of FIG. 3. The calotte-shaped part 23 of elastically moldable material is firmly connected with the brim of the hollow space in the handle 1. In this case the vertex of the calotte-shaped part 23 is provided with a filling hole 25 closed by means of a screw cap.

FIG. 5 is another embodiment of the present invention and shows a partial view of the styler-dryer of the invention in which the cross piece 10 is connected with the sealing cap 11 in the hollow space of the handle 1. The water container 12 is screwed into sealing cap 11. Through sealing cap 11 passes the outlet pipe 13 to which the pliable hose 14 is attached and whose free end carries weight 15. The hollow space in the handle 1 is covered with cap 5 which is connected by a thread with the other parts of the handle. The swivel lever 26 is mounted in a corresponding opening in the wall of the handle 1, this lever being fixed by a pin projecting into both walls of the handle 1. On the inside of this swivel lever a nose is disposed which together with the plate-spring 27 gives a combined effect. Moreover, the

swivel lever has a ledgeshaped shoulder 28 which rests against the inside of the walls of the handles 1 hollow space when the swivel lever 26 is not pressed into the hollow space against the pressure of the spring. The plate-spring 27 is inserted into a slit in the cross piece 10 and is fastened there.

The styler-dryer of the present invention now enables the hair strands, curled on the dryer and clamped fast by means of the swivel lever to be moistened by steam while the dryer is being heated, this steam forming from the partial amount of water conveyed from the water container to the dryer using whatever pressure device may be available.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for styling hair comprising a hollow handle, a heating element extending outwardly from said handle, a tubular jacket surrounding said heating element, said jacket being provided with a plurality of apertures in its periphery, a lever connected to said handle and having a short section adapted to conform to said handle and a longer section having a configuration conforming to the configuration of a portion of said jacket, container means for a water supply located in said handle, at least a portion of said container means being flexible and deformable to discharge water from said container upon being deformed, and an outlet tube for conveying water from said container means to said jacket.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said container comprises a separate flexible, deformable container disposed within said handle.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means to deform said container means to intermitlever pivotally connected to said handle and extending through an opening provided in said handle.

6. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said outlet tube has a flexible end disposed within said container means and a weight secured to the end of said flexible end. i

7. Apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising wire gauze disposed in said jacket in the region of the apertures provided in said jacket. 

1. Apparatus for styling hair comprising a hollow handle, a heating element extending outwardly from said handle, a tubular jacket surrounding said heating element, said jacket being provided with a plurality of apertures in its periphery, a lever connected to said handle and having a short section adapted to conform to said handle and a longer section having a configuration conforming to the configuration of a portion of said jacket, container means for a water supply located in said handle, at least a portion of said container means being flexible and deformable to discharge water from said container upon being deformed, and an outlet tube for conveying water from said container means to said jacket.
 2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said container comprises a separate flexible, deformable container disposed within said handle.
 3. Apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means to deform said container means to intermittently supply water to said jacket to be heated and discharged through said apertures.
 4. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said means to deform said container means comprises a push button provided in an opening in said handle and having an element to contact and deform said water supply means.
 5. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said means to deform said container means comprises a lever pivotally connected to said handle and extending through an opening provided in said handle.
 6. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said outlet tube has a flexible end disposed within said container means and a weight secured to the end of said flexible end.
 7. Apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising wire gauze disposed in said jacket in the region of the apertures provided in said jacket. 